Arouna Kone wants to hit the ground running this summer after an injury-blighted first two seasons at Everton FC .

The Blues striker has played just 18 times since joining the club in 2013 after serious knee damaged kept him sidelined for over a year.

Kone returned to the first-team in December and scored his first Everton goal in the 3-2 defeat at Newcastle after Christmas

The Ivorian has been a regular in Roberto Martinez’s squad since and has started the last two Premier League games as Everton picked up vital wins.

Kone, 31, picked up knocks to his knee and ankle in the win over QPR but is expected to be fit in time to face Southampton on Saturday at Goodison.

And the £6m signing is targeting a string of good performances in the final eight games of the season in order to help him build momentum for the new campaign.

“I do feel better in myself and my knee is a lot better,” Kone told the ECHO.

“I wouldn’t say I’m absolutely 100% yet but everytime I play I get better and better each time.

“And that’s the aim now, finishing the season as strong as I can, get confident and try to get back to top form before the end of this season and then kick on with a good pre-season. I want to be on top form right from the off next season.”

Kone suffered ligament damage in October 2013 and missed the rest of his first season at Goodison.

The striker made his return in December this year in the Europa League dead-rubber against Krasnodar and hopes that he never has to endure the pain of such an injury ever again.

“I hope that I don’t have to go through anything as difficult again,” Kone said.

“All the way through all you can think of is keeping focused and keeping positive in the hope that something positive is on the horizon.

“I was out of action over 13 months and it was the first time I’d had such an injury problem like it in my career. I’ve spoken before about how difficult it was mentally for me to cope with that.

“But now I feel better and it’s behind me and now it’s behind me and it is about looking forward.”